Applied Research Laboratory approved by UH Board of Regents

HILO — Today, at its monthly meeting held at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, the Board of Regents (BOR) approved the contract for the Applied Research Laboratory(ARL), a University-Affiliated Research Center of the United States Navy(UARC). The ARL will be administratively located at the UH System, with its executive director reporting to System Vice President for Research Jim Gaines.

The establishment of the ARL was provisionally approved by the BOR in November 2004, subject to adequate consultation and negotiation of a contract. In 2006, the Regents conducted a special meeting on the ARL, at which they received testimony from members of the university and the community. The BOR also received testimony at today‘s meeting prior to making its decision.

In February 2006, UH President David McClain recommended that an ARL be established at the UH System level, and not perform any classified research during its first three years. The ARL will involve sole source provision — via "task orders" — of UH scientists‘ expertise in astronomy, oceanography, advanced electro-optical systems, and communications systems.

Task orders can be received from the U.S. Navy, or any other federal agency, such as the National Science Foundation and NASA. The contract funds the ARL for three years, with an option for renewal for an additional two years, for a total of five years. It is estimated that a maximum of $10 million per year in task orders will be funded, for a total of $50 million. More information about the ARL can be found at www.hawaii.edu/arl.